The bodies of three children and their mother have been recovered from a lake north of St. Paul, Minnesota. Authorities said they are now conducting a homicide investigation.
On Friday around 10:30 a.m. local time, police were called in for a reported suicide in the town of Maplewood, a town west of St. Louis. Paul. They found a dead adult man at the scene, Maplewood Police Lt. Joe Steiner said at a news conference in the evening. He was identified as the father of three children, the Associated Press reports.
The exact cause of death was not revealed and Steiner said it is still under investigation.
Authorities are searching for a missing mother and her three children on a lake near St. Louis. Paul, Minnesota. WCCO
At about 4 p.m., police responded to Lake Vadnais about reports of a possible murder-suicide, Steiner said. Authorities began searching the lake for three children and a woman. Steiner said the lake’s response was “related” to the previous incident, but did not specify.
Ramsay County Sheriff Bob Fletcher confirmed Friday night that a child’s body had been found. The other was discovered Friday night, and the third child and mother were found Saturday. Officials said during a press conference on Saturday that the boys, two boys and a girl, were all young.
The coroner will perform autopsies on the bodies to determine the causes of death, officials said Saturday.
The children’s shoes were found on the lake, Fletcher said. Steiner said the mother’s vehicle was also recovered at the scene, along with other objects that lead authorities to believe they may be in the area.
If you or someone you know suffers from emotional distress or a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).